Stars making the jump from WWE to AEW, and vice versa, is nothing new these days, but fans were shocked when Ricky Starks debuted on "WWE NXT" just a day after news broke that he had been released from Tony Khan's company. Another recent shocking debut was Penta on "WWE Raw," after reports of contract disputes and other issues between the Lucha Bros and Khan. ECW legend Tommy Dreamer compared the debuts of the former AEW stars on "Busted Open Radio" and said Starks belongs in "NXT" right now for a few reasons, including his developmental in WWE's style.
"If you're Ricky Starks and you got called up to the main roster today, where the hell do you fit in?" Dreamer asked. "You probably miss WrestleMania. You don't fit in. But, Penta is different for the mask and the way he wrestles. It was two different debuts. Ricky also needs it to also clear up whatever stigma or... whatever negative things the fans say about him, because then WWE has to sit there and say, 'Does this kid have an attitude?'"
Starks debuted in the crowd of "NXT" just before the main event. Notably, he didn't say his name, and neither did commentary, but the fans chanted for him, acknowledging they knew who he was. A name change for Starks could be in the works, or WWE was just gauging how many fans knew him during his debut, as the company recently filed trademarks for 12 new potential ring names. It had previously been reported Starks' contract was set to expire this spring in AEW prior to his release, which he initially asked for last year.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
